H.S. GIRLS BASKETBALL: West Bridgewater's Fab 4 on a mission

Friday

Feb 14, 2014 at 2:52 AMFeb 14, 2014 at 11:18 AM

Quartet of seniors hopes to end a magical four-year run with a championship

Chris McDaniel cmcdaniel@wickedlocal.com @ChrisMcDaniel88

WEST BRIDGEWATER – There was no crying last year when the West Bridgewater High girls basketball team's season ended in the Division 4 South semifinals against Millis. The Wildcats did not graduate any seniors after the loss and knew they would return a deep class of four juniors (Brittany Stone, Caroline Nee, Tiarra Murrell and Christine Schondek), so the tears, whether they'll end good or bad this year, would wait at least one more season. “The team knew everyone was coming back,” said Stone, one of four Enterprise All-Scholastic juniors from West Bridgewater last year. “That's the only reason I didn't cry because I knew that us four … we're coming back and the rest of the team were, too, so I knew we'd be stronger for this year.”The Wildcats have done just that as they've started 18-0 and wrapped up their fourth consecutive league title (three Mayflower Small, one Mayflower Comprehensive). The Wildcats' seniors have continued West Bridgewater's long tradition in girls basketball by going 76-9 over their four seasons while making three consecutive trips to the Division 4 South Sectional semifinals. Their biggest strength is group chemistry, on and off the floor, as they've grown up playing basketball together. “We all said that at the beginning, we said it feels like we didn't even leave, we didn't have an off-season,” said Schondek off coming back this season. “We know where everyone likes their shots, where they like passes. We have great chemistry. “We've created memories and seen these girls grow up through middle school and now they're in high school. We grew as a team.”“They're my sisters,” added Murrell, who plans to go to a performing arts school in the fall. Over their time, there have been plenty of big games and moments, such as defeating Old Colony in their sophomore year to win the league title or buzzer-beaters and huge league games against Holbrook this season. “It's been awesome,” said Stone, a 1,000-point scorer who plans to study psychology and play basketball at Regis in the fall. “It's just been great to form a bond with these girls.”Said coach Steve Barrett: “At the end of the season, no matter how it ends up, there's going to be a lot of crying and upset because they know it's their last game. We spend a lot of time together. We go six days a week, two to three hours a day. That's a lot of time to get to know someone.”As good as they've been on the court, the biggest mark that will be left by this seasons's seniors will be away from the court. “We've had some great players and great classes and they rank up there with one of the better group of young women,” said Barrett. “I think they're real role models for what to aspire to, both academically and being nice people. “I don't think anybody on our team is going to play in the WNBA, but I think they're all going to be successful in whatever they choose to do.“They're just as nice on the floor as they are off the floor. They're all great kids, very compassionate caring kids.”When this season ends, the seniors will continue the tradition by handing the team to the next group, as has always been the case at West Bridgewater. “I recently went to the National Women in Sports Day in Boston and their saying was 'Blazing a trail, passing the torch,' and I think we definitely made our mark, blazed our trail and now we're ready to pass the torch,” said Schondek who will study either math or science at a school in New England next fall. Replacing this group will certainly be an unenviable task. “It's going to be unbelievable,” said Barrett. “We're lucky, though, because of their tutelage you've got (Charlotte) Allen, she's going to be coming up, she'll be the only senior next year. Then Ericha Whitham, she's a freshman, she's going to be a sophomore next year but she's been playing since she was in eighth-grader. “They're going to have to take over the torch and move forward with it. I think they can do.”Nee, who was absent when the interviews were conducted, plans to study in Ireland, according the Barrett. Before that torch is officially passed, the Wildcats will have one more tournament run as they hope to go farther than the South semifinals. “Go big or go home,” said Murrell of the tournament. “We always want another game to together,” added Schondek. Chris McDaniel may be reached at CMcDaniel@enterprisenews.com and followed on Twitter @ChrisMcDaniel88.